The best medicine

Do you want to feel better? Are you sad or sick? How about angry or frustrated? I have good news for you. There’s a very simple way to begin feeling better immediately. Just go outside, alone, and observe nature for a while. That’s all there is to it!

Whether you sit, walk, or jog, put your attention on your senses. Feel the air on your skin. What does it feel like inside your body as you breathe it in? What do you hear, what do you smell? How do you feel different being out here? Your thoughts may wander and emotions may come up, and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, being in this environment may be a catalyst for personal revelations and the like. You can still think about anything you want, just be sure to remain engaged with your experience of the natural world. Connect with it through your senses and you’ll soon notice a sense of comfort creeping in. Gradually, as thoughts of everyday life move to the fringes and awareness of your surroundings takes center stage, a certain kind of calmness emerges from within.

Even if you’re severely depressed and all you’ve been able to do lately is zone out and you don’t even want to move…try this. If you can psyche yourself up enough to move to a comfortable, safe-feeling outdoor space, do it. It might simply be a matter of driving to a quiet spot and sitting in the car with the windows open. If that’s too much for you at this time, try perching by an open window and gazing out.

Nature isn’t separate from you, it is you. It’s your nature, and that’s what nurtures you most. It’s the source of all the cells in your body. The energy of the leaves on the trees and the breeze that moves them, is the same energy that moves you. It beats your heart and animates your soul. It’s you, underneath the mundane. Connecting to that energy is the best medicine, the fastest way to begin feeling like you again.